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Monument details
| HER Number: | TR 15 NW 2269 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Medieval Canterbury Castle Precincts, Worthgate Area |
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Summary
During the medieval period Worthgate was within the castle precinct and the way between the town and Wincheap passed through the castle yard. In 1548 the Roman gateway at Worthgate was blocked in. However, in the 1790's the route was restored when a new road was made through the former castle precincts and the blocked wall re-opened.
| Grid Reference: | TR 1456 5743 |
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| Map Sheet: | TR15NW |
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| Parish: | CANTERBURY, CANTERBURY, KENT |
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Monument Types
- CASTLE (Medieval to Current, Medieval to Unknown - 1080 AD?)
Full description
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Canterbury Castle was established on a large site immediately incorporating the Roman gate of Worthgate in the 1080's. The Norman castle replaced the earlier motte-and -bailey fortification built to the north at the Dane John soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The new castle's enclosure here re-used the Roiman town wall as its southern boundary. The stone keep was largely constructed in the reign of Henry I (1100-1135) as one of three Royal Castles in Kent. By the early thirteenth century the castle had become the county gaol. Within the precincts was the early church of St. Mary, believed to have been located above Worthgate and to the east of the gate a Great Hall. The area of the precinct is shown on the OS Map Roman and Medieval Canterbury and on Urry's Map 2 (b) Sheet 8.
During the medieval period Worthgate was within the castle precinct and the way between the town and Wincheap passed through the castle yard. There are stories of prisoners in the castle begging for food from passers by. In 1548 the Roman gateway at Worthgate was blocked in. However, in the 1790's the route was restored when a new road was made through the former castle precincts and the blocked wall re-opened.
Urry, W., 1967, Canterbury under the Angevin Kings (Monograph). SKE28529.
Bennett, P., Frere, S., Stowe, S., 1982, Excavations at Canterbury Castle (Monograph). SKE29766.
RCHM & Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1990, Roman and Medieval Canterbury, Ordnance Survey Historial map & Guide (Cartographic materials). SKE30269.
Elder, J. & Duncan, M., 2002, Canterbury City Wall Trail (Monograph). SKE29730.
Sources and further reading
| Cross-ref.
| Source description | | --- | Monograph: Urry, W.. 1967. Canterbury under the Angevin Kings. |
| --- | Monograph: Elder, J. & Duncan, M.. 2002. Canterbury City Wall Trail. |
| --- | Monograph: Bennett, P., Frere, S., Stowe, S.. 1982. Excavations at Canterbury Castle. |
| --- | Cartographic materials: RCHM & Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1990. Roman and Medieval Canterbury, Ordnance Survey Historial map & Guide. |
